IFTTT Arrives On The iPad

When IFTTT launched its iPhone app last summer, it alluded to an Android version in the works. But another project has taken precedence due to the sheer number of user requests the company has received: an iPad app, which is now available in Apple's App Store.

Named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies in Productivity, automation service IFTTT—short for If This Then That—lets users create "recipes" that carry out certain actions when certain channels are triggered. For example, the popular recipe Purple Rain automatically changes the color of the Philips Hue smart lights to purple when it's raining; another recipe sends all photos the user is tagged in on Facebook directly to that user's Dropbox.

In addition to optimizing the service for the iPad's larger screen, IFTTT has added a few features to enhance the mobile experience which will also be available on the iPhone. IFTTT's iOS Notification channel can send updates and alerts through the mobile device's Notification Center.

Furthermore, Recipe Collections (recipes grouped under certain themes, such as Valentine's Day) will be featured prominently on the new app (previously these collections were highlighted on the company's blog). "In a form factor like an iPad, it's more conducive to browsing content," Linden Tibbets, IFTTT's cofounder, told Fast Company. "[Recipe Collections] is more conducive to sitting back and consuming content like on Flipboard."

As for that Android app? "We're kind of in the final stages," Tibbets said, though he wasn't able to specify a time frame for its release. "Not only is it going to be beautiful, but we're also able to do some really neat things that are not quite available on the iOS version of the app," he added.